Remember that real engine failures have a huge element of surprise about them - way different than practice ones.
Ain't that the truth!
Early 80's southbound of out of the fomer RAF airfield Hethel in Norfolk flying at 900ft agl when the donkey quit in a Bell 206. First manifestation was that the aircraft yawed, then the sound of the donk winding-down, then the caution pips.
What I witnessed is that in a real-life scenario dumping the collective occurs with a reactionary efficiency which I believe is driven by the knowledge that this, ultimately, is what will preserve rrpm.
A 'stick back' initial response may well be a positive refinement to entering an auto but .. I do wonder whether drivers will give this precedence over dumping the lever in an actual emergency not least of all because, depending on the degree of aft cyclic, it may interfere with one's field of view and, in a single when the donkey's resting and you're still airborne, identifying where you will alight is something you feel with an impressive keenness.